


Petrichor: Valentine's Day Special

by CaiPrince13



Series: Petrichor: Merlin Ballet AU [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Teddy Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 17:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1193820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaiPrince13/pseuds/CaiPrince13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin doesn't know what to do for Arthur on their first Valentine's Day together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Petrichor: Valentine's Day Special

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KinFletcher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KinFletcher/gifts).



> Uh, here's a thing I wrote for Valentine's Day. I'm really sorry I forgot to put it up. ^^;
> 
> It's an extra that's not really part of Petrichor but just a bit of a dribble I wrote to add to the end.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> \--Cai
> 
> P.S. I'll be doing a drawing for it, too, I just forgot about it and didn't want to make you wait longer for the story. XD
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [Read Petrichor here.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/758079)

 

Valentine’s Day had never meant much of anything to Merlin before, but this year it was like the metaphorical axe at his throat. It was ridiculous. There was nothing particularly special about the day, but he couldn’t help but feel both excited and sick about it.

Merlin was not experienced with Valentine’s Day. He had received a flower from Gwaine one time as a joke (something he was never, ever telling Arthur) but other than that he had always spent the day with friends, or, if he was home, with his mother. Arthur was from a different world, though. No doubt he usually spent Valentine’s Day with the high crowd, dining in skyscrapers in New York or something. Merlin wasn’t sure that he could live up to Arthur’s expectations. It was silly, really, Arthur knew what he was getting into when they started dating, but Merlin couldn’t help but wonder how he compared to someone as glamorous as Morgana or as sweet as Gwen. Merlin didn’t want to disappoint him.

To make up for the fact that Merlin couldn’t afford to take Arthur to a skyscraper in New York (not that Merlin knew any skyscrapers in New York), Merlin decided to go with a home cooked meal. It was both personal and romantic, and it didn’t cost a fortune, either. Still, this was all new to Merlin, and, if he was entirely honest, he was never a great artist in the kitchen. But how hard could it be to make lasagna from a recipe?

Sighing, Merlin ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he should just give up. He could buy chocolates or something at the market. Merlin slumped heavily onto the bed. Beside him, the teddy bear he got from Arthur fell over, watching him with big button eyes. Merlin grinned. Arthur _did_ know Merlin, after all. Nothing too bad could happen. Arthur would still love him, even if he did ruin Valentine’s Day.

 

~

 

It was a mistake.

It was a mistake and Merlin was all wrong about this. Lasagna was the work of the devil and he wasn’t even sure if it actually qualified as lasagna anymore. It had turned sort of . . . soupy. It looked burnt, too, but maybe that was just the meat. 

Glancing at the clock, Merlin gave a frustrated groan. He had really messed things up. Arthur was due to arrive any moment and there was no time to make something else.

A knock at the door almost made Merlin cry.

“Arthur,” he said, feebly trying to block the doorway with his body. “Let’s go out to eat. We’ll go get Pizza or something.”

Arthur didn’t seem to hear him, though, one blond brow raised at the the apron which was still hanging around Merlin’s neck.

“Were you cooking?” he said, and Merlin might have been insulted by the level of incredulity in Arthur’s tone had he not already deemed his cooking unfit to eat.

“No,” Merlin lied, pulling the apron over his head.

“Sure,” Arthur said, grinning, getting past Merlin’s defenses by distracting him with a kiss.

“You can’t come it!” Merlin said, following him to the kitchen where he had already set out a nice little setting for two.

“I’m not a vampire, Merlin,” he said, though Merlin thought that it might be better if he were. Maybe the garlic in the lasagna would kill him and Merlin would never have to face the humiliation of having made the evil lasagna in the first place.

“I really think we should go out,” Merlin tried, but Arthur gave him a look and Merlin sighed, getting the pan of lasagna and putting it on the table between them.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Arthur said, though clearly he wasn’t concerned about being rude, “but what on earth is it?”

“It’s lasagna,” Merlin said defensively.

“Lasagna,” Arthur said slowly before sitting down at the table. Merlin shrugged, spooning some of the soupy stuff onto Arthur’s plate and then (an admittedly smaller piece) onto his own. Merlin sat down and fiddled with his fork for a moment, watching Arthur bravely stab one of the suspicious pieces of meat and bring it to his mouth. His expression was one of disgusted curiosity. Merlin didn’t blame him, he wasn’t even going to try it.

“What kind of meat is this? It’s a very strange texture.”

“It’s pork,” Merlin said immediately, giving Arthur an innocent look. Arthur glanced dubiously down at his plate then shook his head slowly.

“It isn’t pork, it’s far too stringy,” he said, “I suppose you did warn against eating it.”

“It’s rat,” Merlin deadpanned. Arthur’s expression was excellent and more than made up for the insult to his cooking.

“You’re joking, right,” Arthur said, pushing his plate away from him.

“Rat stew, it’s a delicacy,” Merlin said completely seriously, furrowing his brows as though in confusion.

“You said it was lasagna before. Right, you try it, then,” he said, giving Merlin’s untouched meal a pointed look. Merlin’s face cracked into a grin and he laughed.

“It really is pork,” he insisted, “or it was when I bought it. I’m not certain what it is now.”

Arthur smiled. “Impressively bad,” he said, standing and placing the entire pan in the garbage, ignoring Merlin’s indignant noise. He then proceeded to rummage around through the cupboards, shooing Merlin into the living room.

“Sit there, I don’t think you should be allowed in the kitchen anymore,” Arthur said, though in apparently good humor. Merlin sat awkwardly on the couch, wondering why he suddenly felt like a guest in his own home. Every noise emanating from the kitchen made Merlin tense and grimace, but after a few minutes Arthur emerged. Arthur handed him a plate and Merlin outright laughed.

“Beans on toast?” he asked, grinning. Arthur shrugged unrepentantly.

“It’s all I know how to make, but it’ll do,” he said, sitting down next to Merlin on the couch and swinging an arm over Merlin’s shoulders. Merlin chuckled and tucked into his meal.

 

~

 

“Thank you,” Merlin said, after they had finished eating. He leaned companionably into Arthur's shoulder, a soft smile on his lips. Arthur nodded haughtily, and Merlin elbowed him in the ribs, eliciting a chuckle and a playful cuff around the head.

“Well, someone has to look after you,” he said, leaning over to pick something up from beside the couch.

“What’s that?” Merlin asked curiously. Arthur gave a little shrug, that he was beginning to recognize as a sign of something approaching bashfulness.

“Well, it _is_ Valentine’s Day,” he muttered, handing it to Merlin.

“I’m going to call him Arty,” Merlin declared, beaming at the yellow furred and blue eyed teddy bear, fiddling with the crown perched atop his fuzzy head.

“I figured Mini-Merlin might be lonely,” Arthur said, chuckling. Merlin turned his grin on Arthur, leaning over and giving him a peck on the cheek.

“I love him,” he said, pressing his lips to Arthur’s when he turned his head.

“You better be talking about the bear,” Arthur murmured, eyes fluttering open again.

“I love you, too, Arthur,” he said, glowing with warmth. “But Percival will always have my heart.”

“Shut up,” Arthur growled, “You just have to spoil the moment, don’t you?”

“You love it,” Merlin laughed and Arthur pushed him onto his back for a proper snog.

“That I do,” Arthur said before kissing Merlin in a way he was sure he’d be thinking about all week.


End file.
